A senior manager of 3M has become the latest executive to be kidnapped in France after he was barricaded into an office by staff angry about redundancy payments following cost cuts at the industrial conglomerate.

Luc Rousselet, the industrial director of 3M in France, was held overnight at Pithiviers in central France as a "bargaining chip", according to unions.

He was released in the early hours of this morning to boos from staff, after a deal had been signed offering more favourable treatment for the 110 employees who face losing their jobs.

Unions had demanded more money for departing staff, guarantees for those remaining and payment of salaries for those who went on strike over the redundancy plan.

“In the framework, the managers of 3M have committed to take into account all the social consequence of the restructuring project,” the union representative said of the agreement.

Boss-napping — as it is now known — is becoming increasingly common in France, against the fraught backdrop of economic crisis.

The chief executive and director of human resources of Sony France were both held hostage by employees in a protest over layoffs two weeks ago.

They were released a day later when the company agreed to renegotiate redundancy pay, also a demand of workers at 3M.

Jean-François Caparros, representative of the hard-left Force Ouvrière union, had said: "Until we have a commitment from 3M that they will increase pay packets and are ready to discuss our conditions for negotiations, then Mr Rousselet will have to remain here.

"It is out of the question that he leaves without discussing our conditions."

He said talks between unions and management were due to resume in the presence of a French government official yesterday. "Everyone is very motivated. This is our only bargaining chip. But we are not being violent."

The French division of 3M — whose products include Post-Its and Scotch tape — is planning to cut 1,800 jobs worldwide, including 110 at the Pithiviers factory, which employs 235 people. A further 40 employees from Pithiviers are to be transferred to another plant under the plan.

The incident comes as President Sarkozy struggles to contain unrest over layoffs amid repeated controversies over executive pay.

Last week, for instance, workers at a factory that is due for closure burst into a management meeting and pelted executives with eggs.

French fury has been fuelled by scandals such as the €3.2 million (£2.9 million) golden parachute awarded to Thierry Morin when he stepped down as chief executive of Valeo, the car parts manufacturer, which is cutting 1,600 jobs this week.

Further indignation greeted the announcement today that Cheuvreux, the investment division of Crédit Agricole bank, had awarded bonuses totalling €51 million to its managers while cutting 31 jobs.

Mr Sarkozy has given Le Medef, the employers' federation, until the end of the month to introduce a code of conduct on executive pay. If it fails to do so, he says he will legislate to curb remuneration and bonuses.

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